Amadeus Page #15

Mozart comes in unexpectedly.

MOZART:

Oh - excuse me!

CAVALIERI:

Is her mother still lying on the

floor?

MOZART:

No, she's fine.

CAVALIERI:

I'm so relieved.

She seats herself at her mirror and removes her wig.

SALIERI:

Dear Mozart, my sincere

congratulations.

MOZART:

Did you like it, then?

SALIERI:

How could I not?

MOZART:

It really is the best music one can

hear in Vienna today. Don't you agree?

CAVALIERI:

Is she a good f***?

MOZART:

What??

CAVALIERI:

I assume she's the virtuoso in that

department. There can't be any other

reason you'd marry someone like that.

Salieri looks astonished. There is a knock on the door.

CAVALIERI:

Come in!

The door opens. Constanze enters.

CONSTANZE:

Excuse me, Wolfi. Mama is not feeling

very well. Can we leave now?

MOZART:

Of course.

CAVALIERI:

No, no, no, no. You can't take him

away now. This is his night. Won't

you introduce us, Wolfgang?

MOZART:

Excuse us, Fraulein. Good night,

Signore.

Mozart hurries Constanze out of the door. Cavalieri looks

after them as they go, her voice breaking and rising out of

control.

CAVALIERI:

You really are full of surprises,

aren't you? You are quite

extraordinary, you little sh*t!

She turns and collapses, crying with rage, into Salieri's

arms. We focus on him.

OLD SALIERI (V.O.)

At that moment I knew beyond any

doubt. He'd had her. The Creature

had had my darling girl.

INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1820'S

The old man speaks passionately to the priest.

OLD SALIERI:

It was incomprehensible. What was

God up to? Here I was denying all my

natural lust in order to deserve

God's gift and there was Mozart

indulging his in all directions -

even though engaged to be married! -

and no rebuke at all! Was it possible

I was being tested? Was God expecting

me to offer forgiveness in the face

of every offense, no matter how

painful? That was very possible. All

the same, why him? Why use Mozart to

teach me lessons in humility? My

heart was filling up with such hatred

for that little man. For the first

time in my life I began to know really

violent thoughts. I couldn't stop

them.

VOGLER:

Did you try?

OLD SALIERI:

Every day. Sometimes for hours I

would pray!

INT. SALIERI'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY - 1780'S

The young Salieri is kneeling in desperation before the Cross.

SALIERI:

Please! Please! Send him away, back

to Salzburg. For his sake as well as

mine.

CU, Christ staring from the Cross.

CUT BACK TO:

INT. AUDIENCE HALL - ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE - SALZBURG - DAY -

1780'S

We see Leopold kneeling now not to the Cross but to Archbishop

Colloredo, sitting impassively on his throne. Count Arco

stands beside him. Leopold is a desperate, once-handsome man

of sixty, now far too much the subservient courtier.

COLLOREDO:

No! I won't have him back.

LEOPOLD:

But he needs to be here in Salzburg,

Your Grace. He needs me and he needs

you. Your protection, your

understanding.

COLLOREDO:

Hardly.

LEOPOLD:

Oh sir, yes! He's about to make the

worst mistake of his life. Some little

Viennese slut is trying to trick him

into marriage. I know my son. He is

too simple to see the trap - and

there is no one there who really

cares for him.

COLLOREDO:

I'm not surprised. Money seems to be

more important to him than loyalty

or friendship. He has sold himself

to Vienna. Let Vienna look out for

him.

LEOPOLD:

Sir -

COLLOREDO:

Your son is an unprincipled, spoiled,

conceited brat.

LEOPOLD:

Yes, sir, that's the truth. But don't

blame him. The fault is mine. I was

too indulgent with him. But not again.

Never again, I promise! I implore

you - let me bring him back here.

I'll make him give his word to serve

you faithfully.

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